Transfer bit, transfer bit blank and method of producing the bit



W. LARKIN TRANSFER BIT, TRANSFER BIT BLANK AND METHOD OF PRODU G THE BIT Filed March 1955 A1 --T-'- X a M 5 .6. Wm;

im/dam 1i?? United States Patent TRANSFER BIT, TRANSFER BIT BLANK AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE BIT Walter Larkin, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Fidelity Machine Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 18, 1955, Serial No. 495,262

13 Claims (Cl, 66-95) This invention relates to improvements in circular knitting machines of the type comprising dial-mounted transfer bits which function with the cylinder needles to produce a loop in the knitted fabric, in the form, for ex ample, of a turned welt at the top of womens hose. Machines of this type are widely used in the industry for production by automatic operation of womens stockings of the turned-welt class, and their construction and mode of operation are well understood.

The present invention has for a primary object the provision of a circular knitting machine of the aforesaid type capable of producing turned-welt stockings in fabrics of finer gauge than was considered practicable prior to this invention.

To this primary end, the invention contemplates the provision of a transfer bit of improved structural design exhibiting materially greater strength, rigidity, durability and compactness than the corresponding bits of the prior art.

Another object is to provide a transfer bit of integral formas compared with the prior conventional composite or two part bits, and which by reason of its novel construction will not only exhibit improved functional characteristics in itself but will also confer materially improved characteristics on the machine in which it may be employed, as hereinafter fully described.

In the attached drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a knitting machine of the type to which the invention relates con prising a dial in which are mounted bits made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a face view of a blank of a character from which the bit may be formed;

Fig. 3 is atop edge view of the blank;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the finished bit;

Fig. 5 is a top edge view of the bit, and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the two separate parts of a conventional composite bit.

With reference to the drawings, the fragmentary part of the knitting machine shown in Fig. 1 comprises the usual needle cylinder 1; a dial 2, which carries in the lower member 2a thereof the transfer bits to which the present invention primarily relates; and a conventional sinker ring 3. The dial 2 has the usual radial slots in which the transfer bits 4 are mounted in conventional manner, and each of the bits has an actuating butt 5 which is engaged in a cam groove 6 in the upper or cap member 22b for projecting and retracting the bits 4 in known manner.

The sinker ring 3 carries sinkers 7 which function in coir junction with the cylinder needles 8 in accordance with the usual practice. This mechanism, including the transfer bits 4, operate to produce a loop or turned welt, indicated at 9, in the knitted fabric, in manner well known in the art.

The transfer bit forming the subject of the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. in general, it conforms in shape and function to the corresponding bits of the prior art, having a needle-receiving eye 11 adjacent the forward or working end the forward wall of which is ice divided vertically as indicated at 12, and comprising also an adjoining yarn-retaining terminal hook 13 which functions in known manner. The rear body portion 14 of the bit, embracing in the present instance approximately onehalf of the overall length of the bit, carries at its forward end the bit-actuating butt 5 previously referred to. When in the normal operation of the bits the loops of the fabric 9 carried on the hooks 13 are to be transferred to the needles 8, the bits are projected to the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the eyes 11 are aligned with the needles 8. The latter are then elevated beyond their normal knitting range so as to pass upwardly through or into the eyes as illustrated, the bits are retracted, and the needles, passing through the divided forward wall 12 of the eye, pick up and withdraw the loops from the hooks 13.

In accordance with the present invention, the rear or body portion 14 of the transfer bit is of integral formation, being formed from metal of the desired ultimate gauge or thickness, or forged to said thickness from a single piece. This portion of the bit comprises the butt 5 as an integral part thereof. The forward portion 16 of the bit is composed of relatively thin metal also integral with and approximately one-half the thickness of the body portion 14, so that when this portion is folded once upon itself, as described below, the thickness of the forward portion of the bit will correspond to that of the said body portion. In its original blank form, the forward portion of the bit is shaped as shown in Figs. 2 and 3with a generally diamond shaped recess 21 in its forward edge forming bifurcations 22 and 23. These bifurcations are offset h in part from the plane of the bank to form aligned recesses 24 and 25, and the forward edge of one of the bifurcations has an extension which constitutes the hook 13. This blank is folded along a line indicated in Fig. 2

y by the reference numeral 26, the line being parallel in the present instance to the longitudinal centerline of the bit, and when so folded the bifurcations 22 and 23 and their respective recesses 24 and 25 register to form the eye 11 having the divided forward wall 12 as previously described, the extension 13 forming the hook 13 immediately adjoining the said forward wall.

It will be noted that the folding of the metal along the line 26 forms an upper reinforced edge extending over a substantial part of the length of the forward portion of the bit, the said edge being in the nature of a backbone which confers strength and rigidity on the laminar forward portion. This rib, however, terminates sufficiently short of the rear wall of the eye 11 to afford the required flexibility in the confronting portions at the opposite sides of the eye 11 to permit the separation at the division of the forward wall for passage through that wall of the needle 8 when the bit is retracted as described above.

There are material advantages accruing to a bit of this construction as compared with those bits of the prior art composite of two strips of metal of the character shown at 26 and 27 in Fig. 6. In that case, each of the parts 26 and 27 carried an actuating butt 28 and 29 respectively which operated jointly in the cam slot of cap 2b of the dial to actuate the composite bit. Since the strips are necessarily thin, these butt elements 28 and 29 were in dividually relatively weak and incapable in themselves of withstanding the stresses involved in the actuation of the bit. Since the two parts of the bit are subject after slight t wear to relative longitudinal displacements, the major part of the thrust of the cam was received eventually by one or other of the butt elements 28 and 29, and by reason of the relative weakness of the individual element there was a tendency for that half of the bit to fracture,

all thickness of the bit was relatively great. This fact imposeda definite limiton the'number'ofsuch bits' that could be mounted in a dial of given diameter and, indit y mposed, i i a mitat on n he. number, f. le hkhwu dwausedin Iie' -xindcrin l 's yne i n ma in -v An th r disadv age f p ior on t ctisns di in the factth at the individual bit elem nts: 261 and 27 being relatively thin were also relatiyelylacking in rigidity nd. equi e ppo v r. re t P t; he r t art ul r y. ear oi ct d. th atnds 'po a uir df r hisj t nsf oper tion. W hout uc pa rt. thstblits acked' ej t bil ty eq ired qr t bl r r cf p a io n sing liable o i t r re h,an ..'et sc a hin -Q nm'd t p c: sl t s ec ssary, o. a-r

ss. 1 1 e d sse di e the ds e uat upport fer. he:

ndjt s all d a ly. ndxto: na is i f n a POS IIi B,

relatively ote ro pper nd'ofj t needle s t nnrs s qtmaint in spac n te h s t here d quate clearanceis essential t'o proper functioning of the machine,

A primary advantage of the bitpro'videdby .the present invention resides in the. integral construction. The strength .of a solid piece, of metal; as in the body. portion and butt, is tmaterially, greater than the-strength of two separate and contiguous pieces of" correspondingjoint thickness. The overall'thickness of-thebody portion of the bit can be made relatively'thin ascomparedf with the overall thickness ofaforesaidcomp ositebits offthe prior art without sacrifice.v of essential: strength, particularly. in

the butt area. This,,relative compactness'permitsthe use of a larger'number. OfjbiIS, in a dial'of given diameter, and'a' corresponding increase in the number of needles in the cylinder; The invention, therefore, extends the a utility, of machines ,of this class into the fielti, of'the finer gauge fabrics.

The tendencyfor fracture at the ,base of the butt. S'is,

largelyavoidedin thateven with. the reduction in overall" bitnot onlypermits troublefree operation of'tliemacliine at therelativly; high rates: ofspeeds'; "bun permits 1 alsrr an increase in the -width-ofthe throat betweenftheperiphery" of the; dial and-the needle cylinderr'this by reason 'of" the fact that-tlie' bit when Projected to themaximum extent stillexhibits' the; relativel'yhigh,degrees of stability and" rigidity required for proper: coaction' withijthe knitting needles. i

I; claim: 7

11 In a transfer bit of;the"typ'e comprising a needlereceiving eye having a dividedfforwarcl wall", and a n adjoining yarn-retaining: terminal? hook; an integral" flat body portion extending -longitudinally from the" rear end of the bit and inclnding a; bitactuating butt, -saidhody. portion terminatingwearwardly' ofsaid"eye, and; portion; ofrelativclyqthin metal integgaiiwitli the saidi'body portion andj foldedjon itselffalong} a' line between'jthe said body portion andtheeye, said foldedportions'has in-gconfronting freetenninalpartsfortning the respective opposite sidesgof saidj'eye',' and oneat least'ofisaidftermi nal=portions liavinggan,extremityforminggthe sajd' hook.

forward fol'd'line lies atthe upper edge of"th'e'forward"portion of" the bit. 7

3. A transfer bit according to claim 1 wherein said forward portion is joined to the body portion so that one side face thereof lies flush .withand constitutes a continuation of one face of the body portion, and is folded so that anotherifacegofi'thejforwardf portioniis; flash with, the other side .faceaof the saiclpbodyportion.

At nsfe u itaward n q l im, 1. her i e. a ree ermina P rt ns; nave registeri outwardly placed'sections forming the walls of said eyet S. A transfer bit according to claim 4 wherein the said fold line terminates: short of' t he-wall of *said eyeso. as to extend the effectiye, length and to. correspondingly in crease flexibility of the free terminal portions.

6. A blank for transfer bits of the type described, said ank av n .v t on d a a o yp rt one siven ckness h v n n t raln iect a ancee ge p s i naan c uat ng. tt r. e: fi'n e 'bit. ndv n opposite end portion oflesser thickness than butintegral withthe body, pprtionand having hifurcations at.the end thereoffjrernoteto the body portion saidjportion of lesser.

thickness being jfoldahle on a line extending from the .int n s f he i u cat ons o. bring t a into. o er; lapping relation, and said bifurcations having recesses arranged to register in the said overlapped relation; to

provide a needle-accommodating eye for the finished .bit.

7,. A blank according to claim 6. including a terminal extension onatileast one of. said bifurcations providing a loop-retaining hook for the finished bit.

8. A blank according to claim 6 wherein eachof the two e'ndportions haveone face in av common plane, and wherein the said'body portion is substantially twice the thickness of the opposite end portion.

9. A blank accordingto claim 61wherein the recesses in thebifurcations are constitutedby lecai'areas displaced from the common plane, of'the bifurcations. I v

10; In ablank for transfer bitsof the'typedescribed; an integralimetal strip, havingopposite ends of differing thickness, the endjof lesser thicknessbeing increased in height beyond the line of juncture with'the thicker endand being bifurcated at its outer extremity so as to afford) an upper longitudinal section adapted for folding over against the face of thelower section to produce a iaminarcndportion of substantially the'same thickness, asthe said thicker end *and'h-aving a split extremity formed by theconfrone ing bifurcations.

ll. A'blank" according to claim 10 wherein the end of greater thickness includes a projection at its upper edge providing an actuating bnttfor the finished bit 12. The method ofproducing a transfer bit ofthe-type described having combined"strengtl'1, and compactness, said method including the production of-a; blank having at one end a bodyportion of given thickness and comprising a butt-forming projection, and having an opposite end-portion 'oflesser thickness with alignedrecesses, and

end a body portion formed of a single; piece of metal and including a; bit-actuating butt, and having an opposite end including'a divided working-tip and composed of relativeiy thin'sheet rnetal' integral with'the bodyportion and'fold'ed on itselfto 'alford an; effective; thickness correspondingapproximately to that-of the body portion.

References Citedin the fiie of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1887- 

